Potato-planter.



0. KNOERZER.

POTATO PLANTEP.. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1912.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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O. KNOERZBR.

' POTATO PLANTER APPLIoATroN FILED JUNE 12, 1912.

.Patented Aug. '19, 1913.

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0. KNOERZBR.

POTATO PLANTEB..

APPLIoATIoN FILED JUNE 12, 1912.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGAPH c0..W^sHlNuTnN. n. c.

IWITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO KNOERZER, 0F HAMMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO CHAMPION POTATO MA-CHINERY COMPANY, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

POTATO-PLANTER.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, OTTo KNOERZER, a citizenof the United States, residing at Hammond, in the county of Lake andState of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements inPotato-Planters, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to potato planters and has for its main objectthe production of a potato planter capable of successfully handling seedpotatoes in any of the peculiar conditions to which they are subject.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide means wherebyindividual seed potatoes may be selected from the whole mass and droppeddirectly into the furrow, or if desired dropped to a star wheel orwinged feed wheel, where corrections may be made by hand and thereafterdropped into the furrow by the action of said wheel.

Another object is to provide automatic means for agitating or jarring acertain elevato-r chain, (which raises the seed potatoes into positionto be discharged into the delivery chute) and thereby shake oftl the eX-cess potatoes, thus insuring the delivery of but one seed potato at atime.

Another object is to provide a potato planter capable of being handledby but one attendant when the seed potatoes are in suitable condition,but arranged so that two attendants may be employed to effect thesuccessful operation of the machine, when the seed potatoes are in acondition difficult to handle.

Other objects and advantages will occur' in the co-urse of thisspecification and with all of said objects and advantages in view, thisinvention consists in the several novel features hereinafter fully setforth and particularly defined in the claims. j

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings furnished herewith,in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a potato planter embodying one form ofthe invention, certain parts thereof being illustrated in dotted lines,to more clearly illustrate the present invention, Fig. 2 is a view ofcertain parts seen in Fig. 1, the view being partly in plan and partlyin horizontal section, taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is adetail central longitudinal section of the elevating and feed mechanismtaken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4E, Fig. 4t is a plan of the parts seen inFig. 3, Fig. 5 is a detail vertical cross section taken on the line 5 5of Fig. 3, Fig. 6

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led .Tune 12, 1912.

Patented Aug. 19,1913. Serial No. 703,127.

is a detail vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, Fig. 7 isa horizontal section taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 3, Fig. 8 is a detailvertical section taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 9 is afragmental transverse section of the housing seen in Figs. to 6, butshowing a dierent form of deflecting plate used in connection therewith.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings 10,designates the seed box of a planter, which box is supported upon sideframes 11, carried by wheels 12, that are fast upon a shaft or axle 13,which is journaled in bearings carried by the side frames 11. Theplanter is provided with the usual furrow openers 15, fertilizermechanism 16, covering disks 17, and their supports, and as these partsform no particular part of the present invention, they will not bedescribed in detail in this specication. The seed boX 10, has adownwardly tapering hopper-like bottom 18, at the lower end of which isan arc shaped conduit 19, substantially circular in cross section andterminating in an opening 20, (see Figs. 3 and 5). Extending throughbearing brackets 21, secured to said bottom 18, is a transverselyextending shaft 22, concentrically arranged with respect to the conduit19, and driven from the shaft 13, of the supporting wheels of theplanter. The means for driving said shaft 22, may comprise a gear wheel23, fast upon the shaft 13, and a pinion 21, fast upon an extension 25,of t-he shaft 22. As shown, the inner end of the shaft eXtension 25, issquared and fits in a square hole in the end of a sprocket wheel 25a,which is employed to drive certain other mechanical parts of the planterand is secured to one end of the shaft 22. The outer end of the shaft25, is slidably carried in a slot formed in one side frame 11, and isheld in position by a link 26, and a hand lever 27, and segment 27a. Theobject of this arrangement'is to enable the pinion 24, to be removedfrom its shaft and another one of diiferent diameter to be placedthereon in its stead for timing the elevating and feed mechanism.

At the top of the flaring bottom portion 18, of the seed boX is arearwardly extending table 28, above the forward end of which is ahousing 29, forming the upper part. of a delivery chute, through whichthe seed potatoes are dropped one after the other by the elevatingmechanism hereinafter described; said housing is preferably made of twosubstantially similar halves 29a, 29, bolted together along the middleline of the housing. The housing is open at its top, bottom and front,the latter extending in an oblique, rearwardly inclined direction, andbeing part-ly closed by flanges 30, which terminate somewhat below thetop of the housing. At a point below the top of the flanges 30, thefront is formed with transverse approximately horizontal flanges 3l,that extend at right angles to the flanges 30, and below said transverseflanges the housing is formed with parallel side walls 32, whose forwardedges are approximately parallel with the oblique front of the housing.Yieldingly supported above the said flanges 3l, is a sprocket wheel 33,carried by a shaft 3d, mounted in a bracket 35, having a downwardlyextending post 3G, which is guided in a central perforation in themeeting edges of the flanges 3l. Between the bottom of said bracket 35,and top of the `flanges 3l, is a coiled compression spring 37, whichacts to yieldingly support the bracket 35, and sprocket. wheel carriedthereby. Said bracket is formed with two grooved lugs 38, cach of whichembraces one of the flanges 30, of the housing (see Figs. t, 5 and 6) toguide the upper end of the bracket in a line substantially parallel withthe oblique front of the housing', the lower end is guided by the postsliding in the hole in the flanges 31.

The shaft 22, bears a sprocket wheel 39, immediately above the conduitopening 20, and trained around said sprocket wheels 33, 39, is asprocket chain 4:0, certain of the links of which are formed with seedcups lll, of the general contour seen in Figs. 3 and 4, which cups areadapted to lift the seed potatoes from the seed box and discharge themone after the other into-the housino' 29, from which they are thereafterdelivered to the furrow. ln general said seed cups are substantiallycircular' in plan and taper some.

what toward their bottom portions, where they are preferably perforated.

It will be observed that by reason of the arc shaped conduit 19, at thebottom of the seed box and by reason of the proper spacing of the seedcups, no gate or closure is required at the entrance opening to thebottom of the seed box, for the reason that at least one of said seedcups at a time occupies a position in said arc shaped conduit, the onecup entering said passage at or just before the preceding one leaves thesame, so that there is no danger of any of the seed potatoes escapingthrough the opening in the bottom of the seed box.

To preventI more than one seed potato being carried up in any given seedcup, l provide an agitator, here shown as compris ing a vibratory arm4.22, pivoted upon one of the bolts 43a, that fastens the two halves ofthe housing together. Said arm extends upwardly between the side walls32, of the housing and is formed with a head 43, that projects forwardinto the path of the cross bars of the links of the sprocket chain. Thelower end of the arm is forked as shown in F ig. G, and encircling saidbolt 4-3 between the arms of the fork is a coiled spring Att, one end ofwhich engages with the rear of the arm 4t2, and the other end engageswith the bottom of the seed box, said spring acts to yieldingly pressthe upper end of the arm lf2, toward the sprocket chain. lt is evidentthat as the links of the sprocket chain pass by the head i-3, of the arm42, the cross bars of the links force the arm back against the action ofthe spring, but said spring throws the head back again. against thechain, thus rattling or vibrating the same, and shakin g olf anypotatoes that may have lodged on the seed potato in the cup. To regulatethe intensity of the stroke, n eans are provided for limiting themovement of said arm in a direction toward the chain, and said means arehere shown as comprising a bolt 4:5, which extends through oblique slots4G in the side walls of the housing and against which said arm strikes.The threaded end of said bolt bears a. nut, and by unscrewing said nut,raising said bolt in the slots 46a, and tightening up the nut, theforward movement of the arm 4t2, is thereby restricted. lVhile thefunction of the agitator is to jar the chain and dislodge any seedpotatoes that may have lodged over the one in the seed' cup, undercertain conditions it is necessary to jar the chain more than at othertimes. This may be accomplished by proper adjustment of the bolt 45.

The table QS, has a circular flange 4G, projecting upward from its uppersurface, and rotatively mounted in the space surrounded by said `flangeis a star wheel or winged feed wheel f4.7, which may be geared to rotatein svnchronisin with the movement of the sprocket chain. Said wheel ishere shown as comprising' a central, downwardly flanged disk 418, formedwith radial vertical wings 49, projecting out from the flange of thedisk 43. A vertically and downwardly extending shaft 50, secured to saidwheel 417, is j )i'iinaled in a downwardly extending boss 5l, formed onthe lower side of the table 28, and in a bearing bracket carried by saidtable QS. A beveled gear wheel 53, mounted upon said shaft 50, near itslower end meshes with a bevel-ed. pinion 54.-, mounted upon a countershaft 55, jonrnaled in the bracket 52, and in a bracket 5f, extendingdown from the table 23. rlhe other end of said counter shaft bears abeveled pinion 5T, which meshes with a bevel piuion 5S, mounted on oneend of the shaft (see Fig. 2). l have shown the shaft as capable of alimited amount of horizontal movement whereby the beveled pinions 5l 58,may be thrown into or out of mesh and as shown, the means for effectingsaid movement of the shaft 55, comprises a bearing block 59, in which isjournaled the shaft 55, said block being slidably mounted in an openingin the head 60, of the bearing bracket 56, and held in position thereinby means of set screws 6l, threaded in the head and bearing against thesides of the block. By unscrewing one set screw and screwing up theother set screw, the block may be moved from one side to the other ofthe opening in the head whereby the shaft s correspondingly moved,thereby throwing the beveled pinions 57, 5S, into or out of mesh as thecase may be.

The housing 29,partly overhangs the feed wheel. 4:7, and the lower endof said housing, adjacent the feed wheel, is cut away to permit the feedwheel to rotate thereunder. An opening- 62, is formed in thc table 28,below the overhanging portion of said housing 29, the major portion ofsaid opening being to one side of the vertical center of the housing,and the section 29a, of said housing is formed at its lower end with anoutwardly and downwardly curved portion 63, that overhangs and coversthe opening 62, in the table 2S. The section 29h, has a late-raldischarge opening 65, and opposite said opening is a detlecting plate64e, (see Figs. 3, et, and 5) which is secured to the inner face of thesection 29a, of the housing as shown, and said plate projects over theopening 62, and toward the bottom of the opening 65, whereby when saiddeliecting plate 64, is used, any seed potatoes dropped upon it. will bedischarged through the lat-eral opening 65, and upon the plat-form 2S,between two wings ofthe feed wheel. A gate 66, is hung' in said opening65, and arrests the seed potato as it passes said opening 65, wherebythere may be no tendency for it to roll outl of the pocket formed by twoadjacent wings of the feed wheel and the flanged table 2S. Said gate isshown in the drawings as comjn'ising a number of chains placed side byside and secured to the section 29h, at the top of the opening' 65. rlheelevator chain and feed wheel are so timed with respect to each otherthat when a seed potato is thrown into the housing 29, (after havingbeen carried up by the elevator chain) and falls to the table 2S, one ofthe pockets form-ed by the wings of the feed wheel and table is inposition to receive such seed potato, after which it is carried aroundby said feed wheel until that pocket registers with the opening 62, inthe table, whereupon said seed potato is free to drop into the lowerportion 67, of t-he delivery chute, through which it falls into thefurrow. `vVith the use of the feed wheel 4T, the attendant may readilyobserve if the several pockets are properly lled with seed potatoes andif not, may make corrections by placing a seed potato in an emptypocket, and if more than one happens to be in a pocket he may remove oneand thereafter place it in an empty pocket.

Owing to the peculiar conditions of seed potatoes, it is sometimespossible to drop them regularly without the aid of the feed wheel 47,and in such cases the gearing between the feed wheel shaft 50, and shaft22, may be disconnected and a different defleeting' plate substitutedfor the one shown in Figs. 3, 4L and 5. In this case t-he plate 611, isdetached from the housing` and a` substitute plate 64a, employed, (see Fig. 9) which is secured to the inner side of the section 29h, of thehousing, as for instance by means of bolts and nuts 64!J and saiddeflecting plate 64a, lies in a more upright position than does theplate 64, being arranged to direct the seed potatoes directly to theopening 62, instead of projecting them out through the lateral opening65. 1n this case it is necessary, of course, to turn the feed wheel 4-7,into position where the potatoes are free to fall between two of itswings.

For convenience I have illustrated two seats 68, 69, for accommodatingtwo attendants, the one seat 66, being supported from the table 28, by abracket 70, secured to the table, and the seat 69, being supported atthe front end of the machine. lVhen the use of the feed wheel 4:7, isnecessary, one of the attendants sits upon the seat 69, and drives thehorses, whereas the other attendant sits upon the seat 68, and makes thenecessary correct-ions in t-he feed wheel.

The operation of the machine is readily apparent from the abovedescription.

The forward motion of the machine causes the elevator chain to be movedin a direction to pick up seed potatoes from the seedbox, raise them tothe top of the housing and discharge them into the latter, and when thefeed wheel 4:7, is used, they are discharged laterally by means of theplate 6%, into an adjacent pocket on the table 28. The feed wheel isrotated through the instrumentality of the gearing between its shaft andthe shaft 22, thereby carrying" the seed potatoes around until. theyfall, one by one, through the opening 62, in the table, from which theyare conducted to the furrow by the delivery chute 67. 1n case it isfound that the seed potatoes clog and hang together the agitator isallowed to strike the chain more violently, whereas if the potatoes seemto be quite free of each other, the bolt 45, is raised sufhciently toprevent such violent agitation of the chain. 1f it is found that theseed is in' such condition that planting is free and regular, thedeflecting plate 64, may be detached and the plate 64a, secured to thehousing to take its place,

and the pinions 57, 5S, thrown out ot mesh, whereupon the potatoes willbe dropped directly from the elevator into the delivery chute, withoutVrst passing around upon the table tor correct-ion.

I realize that various alterations and modifications ot this device arepossible without departing from the spirit of my invention, and l do notthereitore desire to limit myself to the exact term or constructionshown and described.

l claim as new and desire to secure by `Letters Patent:

l. ik potato planter ont the class described, in which is combined aseed box, a seed elevating chain having seed cups thereon, and extendingup from said seed box, a delivery chute into which said chain dischargesthe seed, said chute having a lateral opening intermediate its ends, anda detlecting plate opposite said opening and arranged to defleet theseed outl through said lateral opening, a iced wheel rotatable acrosssaid delivery chute below said lateral opening and detlecting plate, andadapted to receive the seed from said deliecting plate, and carry thesaine around to the chute at a point below the de'tlecting plate.

2. A. potato planter of the class described, in which combined a seedbox, a seed elevating chain having seed cups thereon, and extending upfrom said seed box, a delivery7 chute into which said elevating chaindischarges the seed, said chute having a direct passage theretlneugh,and a lateral opening" intermediate its ends, a teed wheel rotatableacross said delivery chute below said lateral opening therein and adetlecting plate removably secured in said chute over said feed wheeland adapted to detlect the seed. out through said lateral opening to thefeed wheel, said detlecting plate being capable ot removal to permit theseed to tall directly through said chute.

3. A potato planter of the class described, in which combined a seedbox, a seed elevating chain having seed cups thereon, and extending upfrom said seed bon, a drive sha't'tand sprocket thereon 'for driving`said elevating chain, a delivery chute into which said chain dischargesthe seed, said chute having a lateral opening intermediate its ends anda. detiecting plate opposite said opening and arranged to deflect theseed out through said lateral opening, a feed wheel rotatable acrosssaid delivery chute below said lateral opening and detlecting plate,and. adapted to receive the seed from said dcllecting plate, and carrythe same around to the chute at a point below the deflect-ing plate., a.vertical shalt secured to said leed wheel, and a counter shait't gearedto said drive shaft and vertical shaft,

i. ln a potato planter of the class described, in which is combined adelivery chute having a direct passage therethrough and a lateralopening in its side, a removable deflecting plate in said chute oppositesaid lateral opening and arranged to deflect seed out through saidlateral opening, and a plurality of linked members secured to said chuteand hanging across said lateral opening, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

5. In a potato planter ot the class described, in which is combined aseed box, a support having two sides projecting up therefrom, upper andlower sprocket wheels, the upper one of which is carried by said supportand the lower one of which is a driven one, a sprocket chain, trainedaround said sprocket wheels, and having seed cups formed on certain ofits links, an agitator arm pivotally mounted between the sides ot saidsupport and having on its free end a head arranged in the path ofmovement of the chain, and a spring for swinging said arm against thechain.

6. In a potato planter' of the class de scribed, in which is combined aseed box, a support therein and extending up therefrom, a sprocket chaintraveling along saidsupport, and having seed cups termed on certain ofits links, an agitator arm pivotally mounted on said support and havinga head arranged to contact with the cross bars of said chain, said armbeing spring pressed in a direction toward the chain, a boltsecured insaid support in position to limit the movement of the arm toward thechain, and means tor varying the position of said boltwith respect tosaid chain, whereby the force of the blow against the chain may beregulated.

7. ln a potato planter' of the class described, in which is combined aseed box, a housing supported therein, an upper sprocket wheel carriedby said housing, a lower driven sprocket wheel at the bottom of saidseed box, a sprocket chain trained over said sprocket wheels, and havingseed cups formed on certain of its links, a spring pressed agitator arm,pivotally mounted on said housing and having a head adapted to enter thelink openings ot said chain and strike against the cross bars thereofand a bolt adjustably secured in oblique slots in the housing in lirontof said agitator arm, and arranged to limit its stroke.

ln witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Hammond, Lakecounty, lndiana, this 6th day of J u ne 1912.

OTTO KNOERZER. litnesses:

C. H. LASATER, LEONARD Knonrznu.

Copies ot this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, '.D. C.

